|
A
RESPONSE
TO THE
DA
COPYCAT
HOUSING
POLICY
It is
always
encouraging
when the
opposing
political
party
comes up
with
alternative
and
workable
solutions
to the
housing
challenge
in South
Africa.
This
kind of
stance
gives
credence
to the
concept
of a
constructive
opposition
that
aims to
build
rather
than
just
oppose
for the
sake of
fulfilling
their
name.
However,
it is
very
disappointing
when the
opposition
rehashes
what the
Government
has
already
pronounced
on as
policy,
as their
‘new
allocation
policy’,
as the
Democratic
Alliance
(DA) has
done
last
week.
It is
more
upsetting
when the
main
proponent
of this
so-called
new
‘National
Allocations
policy’,
is also
a member
of
Housing
Portfolio
Committee
at which
these
matters
are
discussed
and had
already
been
dealt
with by
the
Minister
of
Housing,
pleads
ignorance.
The
Democratic
Alliance
should
pay more
attention
when
policy
statements
are
made. On
the 14
March
2005, an
announcement
was made
that an
audit
company
would be
appointed
to audit
all
municipal
waiting
lists
and to
put it
into one
database
through
which
the
National
Department
of
Housing
could
monitor.
This was
repeated
at a
subsequent
portfolio
Committee
briefing
by the
Minister.
It was
also
repeated
by the
Minister
in
Parliament
in
response
to
questions
asked by
Mr B
Steyn,
MP in
the
National
Assembly
on the
same
day.
It is,
therefore,
amazing
that
after
spending
the
whole
year
explaining
the new
housing
plan to
all and
sundry
including
the
portfolio
committee
on
Housing,
to which
Mr Steyn
is a
member,
it seems
ONLY Mr
Steyn
has
still
not yet
heard of
the
contents
of the
new
plan.
Just to
remind
Mr Steyn
and his
party
once
again.
The
quarterly
meeting
of the
Minister
and her
housing
MECs
(MINMEC)
took
this
decision
in
March.
The
Minister
then
announced
on the
14 March
2005 at
a media
briefing
in
Pretoria:
In
consultation
with the
Auditor-General
we would
be
undertaking
an
exercise
to
validate
the
national
waiting
list.
This
would be
done to
ensure
that
there is
a
consolidated
list
across
the
three
spheres
of
government;
that
there is
integrity
in the
list and
that
people
have
confidence
in it.
At the
end of
the
process
the
integrity
of the
data
would be
such
that it
can
relate
to the
data
being
held by
other
departments
such as
Home
Affairs
and
Social
Development
and that
we can
be able
to
project
into the
future
in
respect
of the
housing
needs
and plan
better.
As a
priority
this
process
will
begin in
the
Western
Cape and
in Cape
Town, in
particular,
where
the N2
Project
is
currently
underway.
The
process
will
help us
to
create a
number
of
categories
in line
whether
the
beneficiaries’
choice
is a
house to
own, or
it’s a
house
for
rental
stock.
We
already
have an
information
management
system
which we
will use
as a
‘warehouse’
of this
data to
use in
the
decision
making
and
implementation
of
projects
by all
spheres
of
government.
The DA’s
so-called
‘New
Allocation
Policy’
also
suggests
availing
more
land for
low-cost
housing.
The
Minister
had
already
announced
this on
the 23rd
of March
2005
while
opening
the
provincial
Housing
Summit
in
Durban.
Minister
Sisulu
reiterated
what the
new
Comprehensive
Plan on
Human
Settlements
stated
that
well-located
state
land
would be
accessible
free-of-charge
to
developers.
Therefore,
for the
DA to
state
this as
if it is
something
that
they
have
thought
about is
downright
dishonest.
We are,
therefore,
unsure
what
this
‘new
allocation
policy
of the
DA’ is
all
about.
As none
of what
they
claim to
be new
is
ACTUALLY
NEW. The
Minister
of
Housing
presented
a
well-researched
plan
that was
drafted
after
consulting
with all
stakeholders
and
imbizos
all over
the
country.
The DA,
like
everyone
else,
had the
chance
to
provide
an input
but
chose
not
to do
so.
In the
interest
of
progress
and the
provision
of
housing,
security
and
comfort
for all
our
people,
we
really
wish to
urge the
DA not
to
exploit
the
plight
and the
emotions
of
people
that
are,
already
running
high,
for
their
petty
party-political
promotions.
Issued
by the
National
Housing
Ministry
Media
Contacts:
Thabang
Chiloane,
Ministerial
Spokesperson
Cell:
082
8888783 |